Reinstatement conditional for safety violation

Failure to make use of personal protective equipment called for serious discipline, but the employee’s long service and demeanour made him a good candidate for reinstatement. However, he was demoted to a lower classification.

By Mark Rogers

05/02/2011|Canadian Labour Reporter|Last Updated: 07/18/2011

A meat cutter was fired after he was observed operating the “chine” saw without wearing the required personal protective equipment. The union argued that lesser discipline was appropriate.

T.R. was rated as an excellent employee. Hired in 2001, T.R. operated a chine saw at one of the company’s meat processing plants.

The chine saw is a stationary tool that uses a band saw blade to remove the “chine bone” — the thoracic vertebrae — from a beef rib.